The Aadhaar enrolment project will be rolled out in early October through 1,241 centres spread across all 33 districts of the state, The Telegraph reported on Friday. Six firms have been authorised to carry out the enrolment process. Out of the population of over 3.4 crore in the state, only 24.34 lakh have Aadhaar numbers so far.

“The selected firms have already been handed over the official work orders on September 1 for supplying UIDAI certified machine and operational kits along with one skilled operator per Aadhaar enrolment centre on monthly rental basis,” NorthEast Now had quoted M Angamuthu, commissioner and secretary of General Administration Department, as saying last week.

The process was carried out in Golaghat, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts of the state in August 2014, but not extended over concerns that illegal migrants may acquire Aadhaar cards and use them as citizenship proof. However, in May, the Centre clarified that Aadhaar cannot be used as proof of citizenship.

“The application forms will be provided free of cost to the residents at the enrolment centre,” The Telegraph quoted the statement as saying. “However, the forms can also be downloaded from the UIDAI website. Once the application is submitted, the Aadhaar card can be downloaded online within 12 days. Aadhaar is considered a proof of residence and not proof of citizenship.”

In June 2017, the Narendra Modi government had introduced a new rule, making it mandatory to link Aadhaar to various services and welfare schemes. Bank account holders were asked to furnish their Aadhaar number as well. However, in March, the Supreme Court indefinitely extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with bank accounts and mobile numbers until it pronounces a judgement on a batch of petitions it is hearing challenging the constitutional validity of the biometric identification programme.